The Cubs were never the favorite to sign 23-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki. But they were reportedly eliminated from contention Monday, leaving the club to assess how to continue to address their pitching staff the rest of the offseason.

News that Sasaki was narrowing his pool of suitors trickled out Monday afternoon as teams fell out of the running. The Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays are the last three standing, according to multiple reports, in Sasaki’s wide-reaching free agency process.

Sasaki has until Jan. 23, the end of his posting window, to choose his team.

The new international signing period opens Wednesday, which would be the first day Sasaki could sign within the rules of the international amateur process. It was also important for teams to know ahead of time whether they would need to set aside bonus pool space for Sasaki.

The unique combination of Saski’s talent, and the relatively small financial commitment it would take to sign him because of his early posting, made him an ideal fit for not just the Cubs, but about 20 teams that submitted information to his agents after he posted.

For the Cubs, landing Sasaki would have both improved their odds of ending a four-year playoff drought, and helped extend their championship window.

Losing out on him doesn’t derail their plans. But there’s no other free agent pitcher of Sasaki’s caliber and age group who would so neatly fit into what appears to be a strict payroll budget for the Cubs.

When the Cubs traded for three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker, who can become a free agent after next season, it sent the message that winning in 2025 was a high priority. But their budget constraints were clear in their next move: a salary-dumping trade that sent Cody Bellinger to the Yankees.

“There’s always that push-pull of the things you’re doing for now and things you’re doing for the future,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said earlier this month. “Ultimately, our goal is to try to be a better team than last year, and that’s been our focus.”

The Cubs rotation is headlined by Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd. The team made right-hander Colin Rea’s signing official on Monday, adding him to a robust group of pitchers who could compete for rotation spots and/or pitch out of the bullpen, including Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown and top pitching prospect Cade Horton.